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• German submarine U-107 sank US freighter Major Wheeler off the east coast of the United States, killing the entire crew of 35. Off Bermuda, German submarine U-106 sank British ship Opawa. Northeast of the Azores islands, German submarine U-109 sank Panamanian ship Halcyon. Finally, German submarine U-82 attempted to attack convoy OS-18, but was sunk by depth charges in return. ww2dbase [Second Happy Time | CPC]
• US Army allocated resources for the construction of the Alaska-Canadian Highway, pending approval of the US President and the US Congress. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru departed at Roi, Marshall Islands. ww2dbase [Hikawa Maru | CPC]
• German troops captured Benghazi, Libya, but the westward offensive had been halted at the Gazala Line. ww2dbase [Operation Crusader | CPC]
• The United Kingdom declared war on Thailand. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Wavell, still angry at the loss of Moulmein, Burma, ordered 2nd Burma Brigade to "take back all you have lost". It was too late-the Japanese were already bringing more troops (33rd "White Tigers" Division and the Headquarters of 15th Army) across the frontier. Lieutenant-General Hutton insisted on abandoning Moulmein and taking up new positions on the Salween which would be reinforced by the newly committed 46th Indian Brigade who had been brought down from the Shah States. ww2dbase [Invasion of Burma | AC]
• The Nazi Germans published new guidelines for the conduct of anti-guerrilla warfare, in which it was spelled out that the war against irregulars (Himmler having earlier ordered that the word "Partisan" was to be replaced with "Bandit" in all correspondence) was to be fought regardless of any conventional legality or morality, "without limitations even against women and children". ww2dbase [AC]
• A Carley float containing a dead body of a HMAS Sydney crewman was spotted off Christmas Island. ww2dbase [Sydney | CPC]
• While at sea, USS Lexington received orders to set sail for Fiji. ww2dbase [Lexington (Lexington-class) | CPC]

• An Australian Hudson bomber conducted a reconnaissance mission over Rabaul, New Britain; a Japanese fighter rose to attack and damaged the Australian aircraft, but it would be able to escape and return to Port Moresby, British Territory of Papua. ww2dbase [Rabaul, New Britain | CPC]

• Six Japanese troop transports, escorted by cruiser Nagara, 11 destroyers, and 2 minesweepers, departed Kendari, Celebes, Dutch East Indies for Makassar on the western coast of the island. ww2dbase [Dutch East Indies Campaign, Celebes and Moluccas | CPC]
• USS Permit disembarked Admiral Thomas Hart's staff at Surabaya, Java, Dutch East Indies, ending her third war patrol. ww2dbase [Permit | Surabaya, Java | CPC]
• USS Stewart, USS Edwards, USS Marblehead, and USS Houston arrived at Tjilatjap, Dutch East Indies. ww2dbase [Stewart | Houston | Marblehead | Tjilatjap, Java | CPC]

• Task Force 17 under the command of Rear Admiral Jack Fletcher and consisting of USS Yorktown, USS Louisville, and USS St. Louis arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii. ww2dbase [St. Louis | Pearl Harbor Navy Base and Ford Island Naval Air Station | Frank Fletcher | Yorktown (Yorktown-class) | Louisville | Honolulu, Oahu | CPC]

• Hermann Göring departed Rome, Italy. Galeazzo Ciano noted in his diary that during this visit, Göring was seen wearing expensive jewelry and furs. ww2dbase [Hermann Göring | Rome | CPC]
• Vice Admiral Aimone di Savoia Aosta took command of the 10th MAS Flotilla special forces unit and the "San Marco" naval infantry regiment. ww2dbase [CPC]

• Hans-Joachim Marseille returned to his unit at Martuba, Libya. ww2dbase [Hans-Joachim Marseille | Martuba | CPC]

• Japanese artillery shelled Corregidor from Cavite at Luzon, Philippine Islands. Meanwhile, Filipino troops continued to assert pressure on the nearly-eliminated Japanese beachheads at Quinauan Point, Bataan, Luzon. ww2dbase [Invasion of the Philippine Islands | CPC]

• Japanese artillery and aerial bombardment continued against various military and port facilities at Singapore. ww2dbase [Invasion of Malaya and Singapore | Singapore | CPC]

• The US Navy established the Gulf Sea Frontier (GULFSEAFRON) with headquarters at Key West, Florida, United States. Captain Russell S. Crenshaw was named its first commanding officer. ww2dbase [Key West, Florida | CPC]
• The construction of an airfield near Alamogordo, New Mexico, United States began. ww2dbase [Alamogordo Army Air Field | Alamogordo, New Mexico | CPC]

6 Feb 1942 Interactive Map